CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez’s attorneys have written a letter to CPS Board members, urging them not to terminate his employment at the scheduled meeting on Friday night.
The letter, sent on Friday by William Quinlan from The Quinlan Law Firm, requested the board to refrain from any actions that would lead to the termination of Mr. Martinez or reduce his responsibilities as CEO during the meeting at 5:45 p.m. on Friday.
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“Engaging in such actions would not only violate Mr. Martinez’s contractual agreement with the Board but also contravene the applicable laws in Illinois that govern the Board’s decisions. Furthermore, such measures would not be in the best interests of the students and families who are served by CPS and the Board,” the letter emphasized.
Lawyers asked the board to confirm if it intends to move forward with actions that would result in the termination or diminishment of Martinez’s employment at Friday night’s meeting no later than 2 p.m., “so that we can engage the appropriate legal response.”
“In doing so, we note that by this letter we are not attempting to escalate this situation any further, but depending on your response, may have to do so if it is in the best interest of the District and the families and children CPS serves. Because, at this point our client does not know what your intentions are at tonight’s meeting, we are compelled to address all possible scenarios,” the letter said.
The board is also expected Friday to vote on a plan that would keep seven Acero charter schools slated for closure open through next year.
Martinez’s possible ouster and the timing of it is being highly criticized.
The school board is expected to fire Martinez. If members vote to terminate with cause, they could individually face legal action. If they fire without cause, it is written in Martinez’s contract that he stays on for six months and receives 20 weeks of severance.
The board’s potential action Friday evening also comes as the Chicago Teachers Union is pressing for a new contract before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. The union is accusing Martinez of obstructing the current board’s wishes.
Pedro Martinez
Thursday was just another day on the job for Martinez. The CPS CEO began his day at Nathan Hale Elementary on the Southwest Side with Santa. Martinez gave no signs that his future at CPS is not so merry and bright. The CEO then headed to the Burbank Elementary on the Northwest Side for a school event.
“In these times today, we need to treat each other with kindness,” Martinez said.
Kindness is not how Mayor Brandon Johnson’s handpicked school board is treating Martinez. They are expected to fire him Friday night at the special school board meeting. Martinez did not talk about the situation Thursday, but others did, including Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who appeared with Martinez at Burbank Elementary.
“You have a guy who’s doing a really good job, who is making decisions, who understands the long-term fiscal challenges,” Giannoulias said. “I don’t understand the attack on him.”
The attack from Mayor Johnson and the Chicago Teacher’s Union began when Martinez refused to secure a short-term high-interest $300 million loan to pay for a new teacher’s contract. CTU President Stacy Davis Gates blames Martinez for failing to come up with other options.
“We need a revenue plan, one that we understand will not lay off or furlough our members,” Davis Gates said.
The mayor’s first school board resigned because members didn’t agree with the loan and they refused to fire Martinez. What is being dubbed a “Friday night massacre” is getting criticism from seven newly elected school board members who have asked the current board to hold off on major CPS decisions until new board members are sworn-in on Jan. 15. Over 700 CPS principals and assistant principals signed on to a letter in support of Martinez.
“We get the resources we need, he comes to all of our principal meetings, so he hears the voices of the school leaders,” Burbank Elementary Principal Edward Collins said.
Former CPS CEO Arne Duncan, who was also President Barack Obama’s Education Secretary, is among those calling on the mayor’s appointed board to allow a new partly elected board, which will begin its work next month, to decide Martinez’s fate
“Emotions are high,” Duncan said. “Tensions are high, but this is the time to really step back, think, and do the right thing for children.”
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“This appears shady,” Kids First Chicago Chief of Policy Hal Woods said. “What is the rush from a lame duck board to make these decisions prior to that board coming in?”
Acero schools
The proposed Acero schools plan calls for five of the seven schools to become CPS schools, fully run by the Chicago School District starting in the 2026-27 school year.
The Chicago Board of Education is expected to consider a plan that would keep seven Acero charter schools slated for closure open through next year.
In October, the Acero Network announced plans to close those seven schools based on budgeting shortfalls.
SEE ALSO: Chicago school board to vote on future of CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, sources say
The closures would affect about 2,000 mostly Latino students and more than 250 staff members.
The schools are:
-Casas Elementary School
-Cisneros Elementary School
-Fuentes Elementary School
-Paz Elementary School
-Santiago Elementary School
-Tamayo Elementary School
-Cruz K-12 School
This is a developing story; check back with ABC7 Chicago for updates.
The video in the player above is from an earlier report.
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